Phantom Braking in AI-Equipped Cars Causes Accidents, Government Inquiry Launched
Drivers across Europe have reported unexplained phantom braking incidents in vehicles equipped with mandatory automatic emergency braking systems, resulting in collisions and injuries. The French Ministry of Transport launched an inquiry on 15 August 2025, with major manufacturers including Peugeot, Citroën, Skoda and Tesla initiating recalls.
What happened
Since several months, drivers have reported unexplained phantom braking incidents where their vehicles automatically brake suddenly without driver intervention. The defect affects the automatic emergency braking system, which became mandatory in all new vehicles sold in Europe since 2022 and uses cameras, radars and sensors to detect obstacles.
Incidents range from sudden deceleration to brutal braking at full speed on motorways. Joanna Peyrache experienced phantom braking in her Peugeot 208 on a motorway while traveling between 110 and 130 km/h in rain, resulting in a collision with the following vehicle. Another driver reported her Tesla automatically braking from 130 km/h to a stop, causing a spin that ended in a guardrail; the manufacturer's report confirmed she had not released the accelerator or braked.
Reported impact
Joanna Peyrache received over 500 similar reports within six weeks. Drivers have created social media groups to gather as incidents increase, citing concerns about defects that could have severe consequences.
One driver suffered only minor injuries in her collision. Poor weather conditions such as fog, rain, snow, and reflections or shadows may worsen the system malfunction.
Index analysis
The automatic emergency braking system relies on cameras and radars to detect obstacles continuously. Poor maintenance or failure to update the system may cause malfunctions.
Defects have been observed across vehicles of all manufacturers released between 2017 and 2025. Peugeot, Citroën and Skoda initiated mass recalls; Stellantis stated it was at authorities' disposal to contribute.
Governance controls
The French Ministry of Transport launched an inquiry on 15 August 2025 in response to the alerts. Manufacturers have undertaken recalls in response to the phantom braking reports.
Classification
Sources and evidence
This record was researched and written by the Index, based on the following original reporting.